3 ConnectingLANs
3 ConnectingLANs
3 ConnectingLANs
Internetworking
Networking Devices
Devices
Ethernet Ethernet
Hub Hub
Hosts Hosts
Bridge Router
Token- X.25
ring Network
Gateway
LAN Connecting Devices
repeater
repeater
ONE network
Legal
repeater
repeater
repeater
ONE network
ILLEGAL
Repeater
Note:
A repeater is a regenerator,
not an amplifier.
Function of a repeater
Repeaters: used in Ethernet (802.3)
Ethernet Ethernet
Hub Hub
Host Host
IP IP
LLC LLC
Hub Advantages:
simple, inexpensive device
Multi-tier provides graceful degradation: portions of the LAN
continue to operate if one hub malfunctions
extends maximum distance between node pairs (100m per Hub)
Hub limitations
single collision domain results in no increase in max throughput
multi-tier throughput same as single segment throughput
Individual LAN restrictions pose limits on number of nodes in same
collision domain and on total allowed geographical coverage
cannot connect different Ethernet types (e.g., 10BaseT and
100BaseT)
Ethernet Hubs vs. Ethernet
Switches
An Ethernet switch is a packet switch for Ethernet frames
Buffering of frames prevents collisions.
domain
An Ethernet Hub does not perform buffering:
Hub occur if two frames arrive at
Collisions Switch
the same time.
CSMA/CD CSMA/CD CSMA/CD CSMA/CD
HighSpeed
Backplane
CSMA/CD CSMA/CD CSMA/CD CSMA/CD
Input Output
Buffers Buffers
A hub is another variation of a switch. Hubs and switches function in a
similar manner, with one important difference:
Hub: When a hub receives network traffic sent from one device to another,
the hub broadcasts the traffic to all the devices on the network. The intended
recipient processes the traffic, and all the other devices ignore the traffic.
Token-
ring
Bridge
IP IP
Bridge
LLC LLC LLC
802.3 MAC LAN 802.3 MAC 802.5 MAC LAN 802.5 MAC
Bridges
Bridges are used to connect two or more LANs together into one
big LAN.
Bridges work at the Data Link Layer. (They do not look at the
Network Layer header as in the case of routers).
Bridge
Network
Data Link
802.3 802.5
Note:
It is important to remember that a bridge connecting different types
of Local Area Networks will have:
Different MAC sub-layers for each type of LAN
Possibly different physical layers
Transparent Bridges
Transparent Bridges are an IEEE standard for bridges.
If you have a site with multiple LANs, you can plug these LANs
into a Transparent Bridge and everything should work.
Bridges that execute the spanning tree algorithm are called transparent
bridges
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Backward Learning Algorithm
When Transparent Bridges are first plugged in all the routing tables
are empty.
Every frame they receive, for which the Transparent Bridge does not
have a destination address in their routing table, are forwarded to all
LANs except the one that it comes in on. This is known as flooding
the network.
Backward Learning Algorithm
Before the Transparent Bridge forwards the frame, it makes an entry
in its routing table for the computer sending the frame (source
address in the frame).
As part of this routing table entry, the Transparent Bridge notes the
position of the sending computer, i.e. what LAN the sending
computer is connected to.
As the routing table increases in size, the need to carry out flooding
is reduced.
Backward Learning Algorithm
The layout of the network can change as computers and bridges are
powered up and down and moved around.
All entries in the routing table are time stamped, if a frame arrives
and its destination address is already in the routing table, the
timestamp is updated.
This could happen when a machine is unplugged from the LAN and
moved to another LAN.
A B2 LAN 4
B1 F
B D
G
C Transparent B3 LAN 3
Bridge
LAN 1 LAN 2 H
B2’s routing table would list the address of host A as being on LAN 2.
It doesn’t need to know where it is on LAN 2
Note:
Application Application
TCP TCP
“Gateway” is also used for a device that interconnects different Layer 3 networks and
which performs translation of protocols (“Multi-protocol router”)
X.25 SNA
IP Network
Host
Network Network Host
Gateway Gateway
Bridges versus Routers
An enterprise network (e.g., university network) with a large number of
local area networks (LANs) can use routers or bridges
1980s: LANs interconnection via bridges
Late 1980s and early 1990s: increasingly use of routers
Since mid1990s: LAN switches replace most routers
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Interconnecting networks:
Bridges versus Routers
Routers Bridges/LAN switches
If network is reconfigured, IP
No network configuration
addresses may need to be
needed
reassigned
56
Bridges vs. Routers
both store-and-forward devices
routers: network layer devices (examine network layer headers)
bridges are Link Layer devices
routers maintain routing tables, implement routing algorithms
bridges maintain filtering tables, implement filtering, learning and spanning tree
algorithms
Bridges + and -
+ Bridge operation is simpler requiring less processing bandwidth
bridges do well in small (few hundred hosts) while routers used in large
networks (thousands of hosts)
High Speed LANs
The LANs that have been covered so far are mainly low speed and
good only over short distances.
FDDI is a high speed token ring fiber optical cable based technology
This technology can ‘self-heal’, which means that the hardware can
automatically detect and correct hardware problems.
FDDI can have two types of Network Interface Cards, A and B, that
connect to it.
Twisted pair cabling can be used. LED are used instead of lasers
FDDI was supposed to be the LAN of the future. The reason it has
not become widespread is that the technology is complicated and
hence the hardware is expensive
Fast Ethernet 802.3
The IEEE enhanced the old Ethernet standard to 100Mbsec LAN
called Fast Ethernet.
Some of the reasons that the IEEE developed this standard are:
The need for a High Speed LAN standard to be backward
compatible with existing LANs.
Possible unforeseen problems of a newly developed protocol.
The basic idea behind Fast Ethernet was simple: Keep all the old
packet formats but reduce the time it takes to transmit a bit from 100
nanoseconds to 10 nanoseconds.
Category 5 twisted pair could carry signals 100 metres, as can fiber
optic cable.